The present disclosure generally relates to adjustable ear inserts and more particularly to earphones for listening to audio media, such as that which may be played from portable audio devices.
Earphones are usually a pair of small loudspeakers that are provided with a mechanism to hold them close to a user's ears and a means of connecting them to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, or portable audio device, such as a CD or MP3 player.
Earbuds are earphones of a small size that are placed directly outside or in the ear canal. Some earbuds, called external-canal earbuds, are designed to sit outside the ear canal. These are generally inexpensive and are favored for their portability and convenience. However, due to their inability to provide sound isolation, they are incapable of delivering the same dynamic range offered by many full-sized headphones and ear-canal earbuds (described below) for a given volume level. As a result, they are often used at higher volumes in order to drown out noise from the user's surroundings. Over time, earbuds became a common type of earphone bundled with portable audio devices.
Internal-canal earbuds are earbuds that are inserted directly into the ear canal. These offer portability similar to external-canal earbuds, and also act like earplugs to block out environmental noise. There are two main types of internal-canal earbuds: universal and custom. Universal internal-canal earphones provide one or more stock sleeve size(s) to fit various ear canals, which are commonly made out of silicone rubber, elastomer, or foam, for noise isolation. Universal internal-canal earbuds are marketed typically to casual listeners and are relatively inexpensive, though some offer very high audio quality.
Custom internal-canal earbuds are fitted to individuals. Castings of the ear canals are made, usually by an audiologist. The manufacturer uses the castings to create custom-molded silicone rubber or elastomer plugs that provide added comfort and noise isolation. Because of the individualized labor involved, custom internal-canal earbuds are more expensive than universal internal-canal earbuds.
Consequently, there is a need for improved internal-canal earbuds. The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate some of the shortcomings present in the field of the invention at the time, and should not be taken as a disavowal of claim scope.